The QXR Inoya drifted through the vast emptiness of space. Having reached full velocity, the thrusters cut off. If it wasn’t for the ships pilot lights, the Inoya would have been blacked out against the dark universe around it. The vessel glided silently through the darkness. It would be two weeks before the next habitable sector. Two weeks alone in space. A life of solitude known by every ship. The Inoya was no exception.
Nephadius, the Wolvrun ship captain, gazed out of the viewport, stars flowing past the void around his ship. The large window wrapped halfway around the bridge. The view was stunning, but to a spacefarer the sight grew rapidly dull with every instance of travel. The ship captain clicked his nails on the arm rest of his seat and continued to stare at the vacancy of space. His head rested heavily on his other hand. He was bored. Very bored.
The Wolvrun checked the diagnostics of the ship. Everything came back above standards. He checked the Trajectory Threat Analyzer: Results returned nominal. The wolf exhaled deeply and checked the ships occupancy sensor for the fifth time within the last hour: One crew member, two-hundred and thirty-seven passengers, zero fauna, and zero foreign entities. Threat level: Minimal.
His nails clicked once more. Nephadius didn’t know what to make of it all. Having people on his ship unnerved him. The Wolvrun quickly stood up and exited the room, making his way down a pale white hallway. After a couple of seconds the hall opened up into the cargo hold.
The cargo hold of the frigate was massive. Normally it would have housed excess munitions, vehicles, and bulk supplies, but the ship hadn’t been used by a military brigade since before Nephadius’s acquisition of the vessel some years prior. Now, the cargo hold was nearly empty, a few large shipping containers strewn haphazardly throughout.
The Wolvrun tapped quickly on a large control panel overlooking the bay; below, the clicks of pneumatic locks hissed. The shipping containers were coming undone. Instantly, confused murmurs could be heard throughout the large room. Nephadius’s face flashed onto the many display screens throughout the hold. His voice sounded over the ship’s intercom.
“Good Morning,” The wolf said, “This is your captain speaking.”
The two-hundred and thirty-six bodies turned their eyes and ears towards the screens.
“We are currently en-route to Planet Shang, in the Ecleseon sector,” The Wolvrun continued, “It will take us approximately thirteen days to come into orbit.”
The audience stood silently, staring at the white Wolvrun speaking on the screen.
“Upon landing, you will all be released.”
The crowd of slaves immediately burst into discussion. Utterances of joy and disbelief flowed throughout the cargo bay.
Nephadius cleared his throat and continued, “In the back of the cargo bay you will find materials to build shelter and clothing,” another lock hissed revealing a container full of various supplies, “at the front, enough food, water, and medical rations for everyone.”
The couple hundred voices cheered as the second pneumatic lock hissed.
The ship captain continued his speech, “All I ask is that you do not kill each other, or attempt to search my ship beyond the cargo bay,” Nephadius’s eyes glared gravely on the monitors. His voice turned sharp and severe. The crowd fell silent.
“If a single one of you tries to test me, I will not hesitate to open those cargo bay doors and eject every last one of you into the lifeless vacuum of space.”
The room remained silent.
“I wish you luck from this moment on”
The screens cut off. The intercom: silent.
Nephadius quickly paced back down the corridor, this time to his personal quarters. The door slid open quickly, allowing the Wolvrun in. As he made his way into the room, the wolf stopped and stood in the doorway. His fur looked matted with sweat, and he was panting heavily. The look on his face was distressed. He stepped inside, the door locking behind him.
***********************************************
A cool breeze drafted across his face. The white-yellow hairs on his head flowing like blades of wheat in a field. The smell of cooking meats penetrated his sense of smell. The young thief opened his eyes and looked around. He was in a small, makeshift looking room. Light shined through a cloth door to his left. Underneath him was a soft mattress. The Wolvrun looked down. His body was bandaged and he wore crude looking shorts. All of his movements were sore and stiff. He sat up and looked around the room more. It was empty. The wolf raised a hjand to his head. It was bandaged as well. Talrean was dazed and confused. The last thing he could remember was waking up in a slave pen.
“Was that a dream?” he asked out loud.
The light piercing into the room flashed with the passing of a shadow. The sound of footsteps could be heard approaching the cloth entryway. Talrean listened intently and stared at the door, waiting for the person on the other side to enter.
The sheet was pulled back, causing a flood of light to pour into the small room. The wolf squinted in blindness as a figure stepped in, silhouetted from the invading light. The figure gasped at the sight of the awoken Wolvrun, dropping a bowl of fresh bandages and water to the floor.
The cloth doorway fluttered shut, dropping the light back to a manageable level. Talrean blinked, his vision readjusting. In front of him stood a young, grey Wolvrun. She wore a crude blue dress. Her face was full of astonished glee.
“Serene?” Talrean asked, shocked by the sight of the young woman. Serene ran up to him, throwing her arms around him in a compassionate embrace. His body stung sharply at the touch, but the warmth of the encounter eased his pain. The wolf’s snout buried deeply into the fur of the girl’s bare shoulder. She smelled vaguely of flowers. Talrean breathed heavily through his nose and sighed. His body relaxed.
“How are you feeling? Is everything okay? Do you need anything?” The Wolvrun girl spouted in a slew of questions.
Talrean stared at her. ‘She’s cute when she’s flustered’ he thought to himself. He smiled at Serene and replied, “I’m fine, really.” She stared at him with worrisome eyes.
“Honest!” He added, “You’ve taken amazing care of me. I couldn’t possibly need anything more!”
In that instance the scents of cooked food wafted past his nostrils. His stomach growled loudly. Talrean couldn’t recall the last time he had eaten.
Serene giggled, “You don’t need anything?”
Talrean stared at the girl with embarrassment. She extended her hand to him, beckoning for him to attempt to stand. He slid his feet to the floor. It was cold and metallic. The Wolvrun stretched his legs and stood, his knees nearly buckling. Serene quickly caught him, looking him over with concern. He assured the young woman that he could manage. Slowly, with Serene’s help, the two hobbled through the cloth doorway to the outside.
The cargo bay was rapt with conversation. People of all species sat throughout the area in solidarity. Most of the group loitered in idle conversation, others played games. Strewn throughout various persons worked diligently with their hands, cooking, cleaning, sewing, and building. If it could be achieved, someone worked hard to provide back to the ragtag community. Talrean looked around in wonder.
“Where are we?” He asked, staring out into the vast room. He glanced at Serene for an answer.
“Isn’t it wonderful!?” She replied in excited aspiration.
“We’re on a ship! The Captain is going to free us when we get to the next sector! Oh Talrean, isn’t that just the best news you’ve ever heard?”
Talrean’s eyebrows furrowed, a look of alarm striking across his face.
“We’re on a ship?” He repeated, “We’re in space?”
Serene looked at the older male with confusion.
“Yes,” She hesitated, “aren’t you excited? We’re going to be free!”
Talrean slammed his fist into the nearby wall and cursed.
“Damn it!” he yelled, “Damn it all! I was so close!”
The young female Wolvrun stared at him, her mind growing increasingly lost to his anger.
“But… we aren’t going to be slaves anymore…”
“Who the hell cares about that?” The Wolvrun screamed, raising his fist to slam into the wall again. As the blow was about to connect, the Wolvrun’s hand was met with a fleshy thump. A Terran hand had caught his punch before it could hit the wall again. The immediate crowd around him fell silent to the commotion.
“She cares,” a gruff voice spoke from being the wolf. Talrean turned. It was James.
“In fact, we all care,” he continued, “Serene had been a slave most of her life. Almost all of us have.”
Tears were flowing down the Wolvrun girls face as she looked away from the two. Talrean looked around the crown. They all stared back at him with the same emotional pang.
“I--,” Talrean spoke, “I’m sorry… I didn’t know”
“Look around you kid, where do you think you are? Day camp?” The Terran replied angrily. “We’ve gotten lucky! Hell, you’re lucky to even be alive!”
Talrean’s ears folded back. The wolf opened his mouth to speak again but he was cut off by the enraged man.
“You’re just some punk from off the streets, and I’m not going to let you jeopardize our freedom!” The Terran man grabbed Talrean from the scruff of his neck, lifting him clear off the floor. He was strong for a human.
“Stop it!” Serene cried, wiping the tears from her eyes. “It’s not his fault… he couldn’t have possibly known.”
James slowly lowered the Wolvrun and let go. The anger faded from his face. With a sigh, the Terran walked away. The two young Wolvruns watched as the man disappeared into the crowd. The small group of people around the two wolfs turned and continued on with their business as if nothing had happened. They stood in silence for a moment before Talrean spoke again.
“Serene… I’m sorry,” he said, looking down at the grey furred young woman. She stared up at the male and smiled, wiping the last of the tears from the fur on her cheeks.
“It’s okay,” She replied.
Talrean smiled. The two stood in silence again, this time breaking the awkward moment with the gurgling of Talrean’s stomach. The wolf’s yellow-white fur hued red in embarrassment. Serene giggled again.
“Let’s go fill that empty stomach of yours!”
The two left their location, following the direction of the savory scents.
The community of the Inoya cargo bay quickly grew to a state of equilibrium and peace. During the day the able bodies worked arduously to keep the flow of supplies and food in good use. At night everyone gathered in large circles. The groups played games, created music making makeshift instruments, and told stories to pass the time. The ship was about three days out from reaching Shang. Many of the people grew anxious to arrive at the destination, but everyone maintained their tranquility.
“So what kind of person is this ship captain?” Talrean asked as he looked out around the group. Most of the circle remained silent. One Gek female spoke up.
“Well… No one really knows. He only came on the screens that first day. One moment he was preaching our liberation, the next he threatened to jettison us all into space.”
The circle murmured in agreement to the retelling of the event.
“Well, what about the ship’s crew? Surely someone has talked to them?”
This time a Lago male with red-orange fur replied, “No one has seen any crew members.”
Talrean looked out amongst the crowd quizzically, “A ship this large has to have a crew.”
The Lago shook his head, “If there is a crew to this ship, they’ve given us a wide berth.”
The crowd muttered semblance of agreement. The Wolvrun was becoming agitated with the responses and lack of information.
“Then who the heck is this guy?!”
Various members of the circle uttered to each other briefly. A Rhintok stood and spoke first, “I heard rumors that he’s a powerful and rich council figurehead who can’t stand slavery.” The circle nodded at the idea.
A Terran woman replied next, “I heard that he’s part of the Galactic Police force. A special unit that handles black market dealings.” The crowed agreed to the plausibility of that one.
An old Wolvrun cut off the mass of murmurs, “I heard that he’s a pirate.”
Everyone fell silent.
“A pirate?” Talrean inquired.
The old wolf continued his theory, “Rumors have been going through taverns and space ports for years about a Wolvrun pirate travelling through the galaxy.” The people in the circle stared intently at the old man. His eyes were glazed over in blindness. “They say that misfortune follows anyone who crosses his path.”
Various people in the group shifted uneasily. Serene spoke up in her soft voice, “I don’t know who he is, but I also don’t care.” The crowds gaze shifted to the young grey wolf. “What I do know, is that he’s kind, and that he has saved us all.”
The Wolvrun girl was right. No matter who the mysterious ship captain was, he had saved the slaves from a life of uncertain cruelty. For that, every single one of the members of the circle were thankful.
As the night progressed, people came and went from the story circle. Some shared their experience, others sat and listened. Together, everyone shared a moment greater than their individual selves. Eventually the circle dispatched, leaving Talrean and Serene alone in conversation.”
“And just as I thought I had gotten away, I had ran head first into one of the cities mob bosses,” Talrean recalled, “Next time I remember anything, I was waking up with you hovering over me in the slave pens… You know the rest from there.”
Serene looked over the boy with curiosity, “Why did you steal the energy crystal to begin with?”
“I was making a ship so I could leave the planet… I couldn’t afford the parts so I stole them,” Talrean answered, “That’s why I had gotten so mad a few days ago. The energy crystal was the final component I needed.”
“You’re off the planet now though, so what’s the difference in being on this ship?”
Talrean stared into the distance of the cargo bay. He then lowered his head and sighed, “We’re headed in the wrong direction.” The Wolvrun female tilted her head quizzically.
“Ten years ago my mother was sent on a mining expedition in the Detrix sector… She was the only one who didn’t return,” Talrean’s eyes filled with sadness, “I assume that she’s dead, but I want answers. I want to know what happened.”
Serene apologized for asking. Talrean dismissed her apology and continued, “That’s enough about me though, you haven’t said a single thing about yourself Serene, what about your past?”
The young grey wolf remained silent. She wasn’t expecting the older Wolvrun’s question. “Do you promise that you won’t judge me or think less of me because of my past?” She asked nervously.”
“Think less of you?” Talrean retorted, “You’re my friend, Serene, there’s nothing in this universe that would make me think such things. I promise.”
Serene looked into the eyes of her friend. The soft brown rings speaking nothing but sincerity. She began her story.
“I barely remember my mother,” She said, “I was only four when I was taken from her. I remember playing in the living room. I was brushing my doll’s hair when they burst in… It gets a bit fuzzy from there, but I remember my mom screaming, ‘No! Please! Don’t take her! She’s just a pup!”
Talrean’s heart sank in his chest. The story continued.
“The next time I could remember anything I was standing on a stage. The spotlight was so bright and hot. It blackened the area around me. I was shackled and wore no clothing, and I was tired… So tired.” Serene wrapped her arms around her legs, pulling them closer to her chest.
“Then I was led away by Mr. Luther. He was such a kind man,” Talrean’s eyes grew distant as he listened to the story. His ears twitched nervously.
“He bought me so many beautiful dresses and dolls, and took me to the park and the movies. He was so kind… but every night he would--,” she hesitated. The young Wolvrun couldn’t muster the words.
“It hurt… a lot… but he was so nice to me. So kind. He took care of me.”
Talrean’s stomach curled at her words.
“One day his eyes grew cold. He looked at me with disgust… Mr. Luther no longer cared about me,” Serene continued, “I ended up back on the auction block a couple of days later… I cried so much. I just didn’t understand.”
She pushed her snout into her thighs and breathed heavily. Her breath was coarse and choppy.
“Some men weren’t as nice as Mr. Luther was. Some men were… All I know is that every one of them was the same. Eventually they grew tired of me.” A tear slowly fell onto her cheek. Talrean knew how the story ended. He wished that he had never asked.
The two sat in silence, both staring into the distance. The young male reached around the young female, pulling her close. His snout pushed into the scruff of her neck. She smelled like fresh flowers. No further words were necessary.
Talrean woke up in a sweat. His bandages were soaked through with stale blood. A rotten odor pervaded the room. The Wolvrun leaned forward, taking a sniff of himself in the process. His nose cringed. He was the foulness permeating throughout the room.
Talrean rolled off of his mattress and stepped to the floor. He stretched the stiffness out of his bones and yawned loudly. The wolf expected to feel sore, but was met with surprise at the lack thereof.
Slowly, the Wolvrun removed the used bandages, tossing them to the floor. As far as he could tell he wasn’t currently bleeding. He inspected his injuring, running his paw pads through his fur. There was no scarring or scabbing that he could find, but his fur was matted with the old blood and stank terribly. With the crimson stains blotched across his body, Talrean not only smelled like the living dead, he looked like it too. The Wolvrun needed to bathe. He pushed the cloth aside and walked out of his room.
When Talrean stepped into the open cargo bay, he was met by gasps of surprise and concern. Passersby asked if he was okay and needed any assistance. The wolf waved them off, looking around the large room. He was looking for Serene. After scanning the crowd a couple of times he set eyes upon her. The young Wolvrun girl was sitting in a sewing group, mending clothing that was ripped or worn. Talrean jobbed towards the group, calling for Serene’s attention. The other men and women looked up at the boisterous Wolvrun first, there eyes widening. Most murmured with worry as the bloody figure bounded towards them. Serene turned towards the boy calling her name. She dropped her sewing equipment and gasped as Talrean arrived.
“Talrean! Are you okay?!” She asked in a troubled tone.
The wolf looked at her curiously, “Yeah, why do you ask?” She looked at him in disbelief that he would ask such an asinine question.
“You’re covered in blood!” She blurted. At that moment the raunchy scent of the blood-stained Wolvrun crossed her nose. The young woman’s face curled. She covered her snout with her free hand. “And you smell terrible!” The girl complained, muffled behind her hand.
Talrean stared at the Wolvrun girl with embarrassment on his face.
“I know!” He spoke, “That’s what I was coming to ask you about. I need directions to where everyone has been bathing because I desperately need to bathe!”
The sewing circle burst into laughter. Serene giggled. She had forgotten that the boy had been bandaged and bed ridden for nearly two weeks. She excused herself from the work group and grabbed Talrean’s hand, escorting him away from the ongoing laugher and embarrassment.
After a short walk, the couple stopped. Serene pointed her fingers and spoke, “Over there on the right are the Women’s bathing areas.” She gestured at the hallway on the other side of the room.
“And here on the left is the Men’s bathing area,” She said, pointing to the nearby hallway. “It’s right inside, you can’t miss it.”
Serene giggled at the young male Wolvrun again, “Come fine me when you don’t smell like a dead Dregnar.” Serene turned and skipped away, leaving the boy and his stench alone in front of the hall to the baths. Talrean waited no longer and strode into the corridor.
*****************************************************************
An old television buzzed monotonously in the corner of the room. On it was a local broadcast of the news, reporting on current events around the planet. In the window was placed a fan, slowly rotating and blowing the hot arid air from outside in, the sunlight showing through the blades as their shadows danced rhythmically around the room. In the middle was an old oaken desk. Atop it laid a pair of long boots, kicked up and crossed. In them, long muscular legs, attached to a loudly snoring individual under a cowboy styled hat.
A device on the desk, next to the left boot, lit up a bright blue and rang like an old style telephone. The sleeping figure grunted in consciousness, unfolded his legs, and tapped the device with the heel of his boot. An image of a bear-like Wolvrun spoke.
“We’re in need of your services again,” The brown furred wolf said, “50,000. My boss wants this one alive though.”
The figure behind the desk looked up from under his wide brimmed hat. The nostrils at the end of his long face flared with the exhalation of his hot breath.
“100,000. If you want ‘em alive.”
“75,000.”
“95”
“85, and that’s the best you’re going to get.”
Thick ears flicked through the cowboy hat. Sweat dripped from the dampened hairs on his face. He clicked his teeth loudly.
“85,000 it is then. Who am I bringing in… alive?”
“A Wolvrun ship captain,” the wolf replied, “He runs a Retrofitted Imperion Class Frigate. It should be in your sector in the next day or two. Do what you need to do, but bring him in alive. Images and identifiers will be sent to you shortly.”
The projection faded. The stallion huffed heavily through his snout. His wrist computer dinged, showing the successful credit transfer into his account. He smiled widely, showing off his pristine, and large, teeth. Standing up, the tall red-brown Equin jangled as his clothing shifted. A long-barreled handgun clinked as it fell into the waist strap of the large horse. He turned and left the warm arid room, jingling with every step of his heavy hooves.
************************************************
Talrean was beginning to feel like he must have missed the baths somehow. After walking for ten minutes the Wolvrun stopped and looked around. Behind him the hall extended infinitely. In front was the same. He sighed petulantly, ready to back track for another ten minutes.
Just as the wolf was ready to trek back down the long hallway his ears perked up. He listened closely at the sound. The subtle hissing and dripping noises of water could be heard a tad further down the corridor. Impatiently, the blood stained and stinky wolf jogged towards the sound.
The room was warm and wet. Hot water ran from aqueducts in the walls, pouring steam into the air. The water slid through slim channels into a large pool where the clear and clean liquid settled. The water was the clearest the young Wolvrun had ever seen. Through the pool various overhead showers poured even more water and steam into the room, leaving the air with a thick fog. It was difficult to see more than a few feet.
Talrean looked throughout the room. He appeared to be the only one around. The Wolvrun shrugged, dropped his crude shorts, and splashed into the steaming pool.
It wasn’t long until the once clear bath had a thick red-brown streak coursing through it. The blood and dirt so heavily matted into the wolf’s fur that it took through soaking to loosen the mixture. The red-brown liquid seemed to permeate directly out of the Wolvrun’s skin after a couple of minutes. It flowed to the center of the bath where it drained quickly, most likely to be cleaned and recycled back into the ships fresh water system.
Talrean had settled in a deep corner of the bath, his face barely above the hot water. His fur was back to the sandy yellow-white he was used to, and the foul stenches had been replaced with the scent of clean water. The Wolvrun sat in the warm water and relaxed. It had been a long time since the wolf had felt this good. The heat had his usually perky ears flopped down lazily over his head. Every few seconds, with a deep exhale, he would sink below the water. Bubbles spewed from his nostrils as he went under. The water dampened the sounds around him. Under water the acoustics were loud and heavy. All that could be heard were the noises of the wet universe encompassing the Wolvrun’s being. Talrean raised his head from beneath the warm pool and sighed, then slowly sank beneath again.
This happened over and over as the young Wolvrun bathed. The relaxed state losing the wolf in time. How long had he been there? Thirty minutes? An hour? All day? He didn’t care. The water flowed through his fur. The heat pierced through his skin. He was in a trance.
Talrean sank below the water, listening to the dampened splashes and flow of water. Suddenly a loud splash caught his ears. The wolf snapped from his water borne state of hypnosis and opened his eyes. His vision was blurred by the how bath, but on the far side of the pool he could make out a blackish-brown figure.
‘Another patron of the baths,’ he through to himself, still submerged under the warm water.
The Wolvrun raised himself from the depths. He stared in the direction the figure stood, but the thick mists of the bath restricted his view to only a few feet in front of him. The longer the Wolvrun thought about it, the more he got curios. Though he had no concept of time, he knew he must have been in the water for at least two hours. The fact that none of the other people in the cargo bay had come and gone in that matter of time struck the Wolvrun as just plan odd. With nothing but his ears, eyes, and snout above the steaming water, Talrean crept his way towards the other bather.
It helped being the sandy white and yellow that he was. Talrean was concealed against the fog nicely. He didn’t’ want to startle whoever he was stalking, just wanted a closer look at who had decided to join him.
The outline of the figure slowly came into view. It was thin, and dark, almost black, brown up to its neck. The head was white and nearly invisible in the fog.
The figure moved. Talrean froze. It was facing directly at him. The wolf sank underneath the water to better conceal himself. After a minute the figure turned and waded underneath one of the overhead showers. Now was Talrean’s chance at a better view.
Talrean emerged from the water, covering his black nose with his paw. The Wolvrun floated to the edge of the thick fog, poking his eyes through the mist to look at the person under the raining water. He was concealed, and the dark brown figure was looking in the opposite direction. It was a--. Talrean didn’t know what species it was. The figure had pristine white feathers layered throughout its head and face. At its neck the feathers turned to the dark brown, with tiny speckles of black scattered throughout. It was some kind of giant bird species. The Wolvrun didn’t know what to make of it. He had never hear of or seen such a species before.
The bird person turned and faced in the direction that Talrean laid concealed. Its eyes were closed as the water poured down over its face. The young Wolvrun’s eyes widened. Underneath the speckled feathers of the bird’s chest were two voluptuous mounds signifying breasts. The chest curved downwards, connecting to womanly hips that swayed beneath the running water. Talrean’s eyes drifted further down. Whatever he was staring at was very obviously a woman. The wolf stifled back a choke of astonishment but the sound was too much.
The bird woman’s eyes burst open, the bright yellow iris piercing through the mists. Her beak opened in a semi-silent squawk of surprise. She searched around frantically for the noise. To his amazement, Talrean was still unnoticed. The wolf faded into the mist, hightailing it back towards the far side of the pool.
When Talrean finally reached the beginnings of the baths, he quickly, as silently as he could, slid out of the water. The Wolvrun ducked down and grabbed his discarded shorts, making a swift glance behind him to see if he was pursued. The thick fog wafted undisturbed over the hot, clean water. The only sounds reaching the wolf’s ears were the wet drippings and splashing of the running water itself.
Though he felt as though he made his escape unseen, the young wolf knew not to leave anything to chance. Hastily, still dropping wet, the Wolvrun bounded through the doorway into the hall, back towards the cargo bay.
It only took him a minute to reach the cargo area. The wolf panted heavily due to his flight. His fur still damp from mere moments ago. He took that second to catch his breath and shake the excess moisture from his body. His sandy fur fluffed up as the water flung away. He was about to make his way back towards his makeshift room when a gruff voice stopped him.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” It was James.
The Wolvrun huffed in exhaustion. “Just finished bathing,” he panted.
The Terran stared at him intensely, “In the Women’s bath?”
Talrean tilted his head to the question. He glanced around the large cargo bay. He was standing on the opposite side of where he originally entered. The wolf’s face grew with confusion.
“I see your game, dog,” James scoffed, “trying to peek at the ladies as they bathe.”
Talrean was at a loss of words. He couldn’t have possibly went into the wrong baths, Serene had led him directly to the correct ones. He also couldn’t possibly have looped the ship, the hallway he traversed never turned. The Wolvrun was thoroughly confused. He tried to explain himself to the older Terran male.
“Feathers?” James asked, “You must be heat sick. In all of my years travelling through this galaxy, I’ve never come across a species such as the one you described. The water must have soaked into your brain.”
The Terran’s comments had Talrean concerned. Had he been seeing things? The details of the encounter were so vivid though. The Wolvrun couldn’t fathom the event having been a figment of his imagination.
“Whatever the case may be, don’t let me catch you sneaking around where you aren’t supposed to. Next time I won’t be so nice,” James said, walking away from the young Wolvrun. It seemed like no matter what he did, he just couldn’t seem to get on the Terran’s good side.
Talrean stood for a couple more seconds, pondering the oddities that had occurred. He just couldn’t wrap his head around what had happened. The wolf sighed deeply then departed. He needed to rest on his thoughts.
***************************************************************
Planet Shang was on the outreaches of the Ecleseon. It was a quant desert planet without much to offer. The major cities all had the same old western style builds to them. Even the necessary modern buildings wore the shanty façade to keep up with the theme. Though it was an arid desert on the surface, Shang was rich in underground vegetation and fresh water oceans. The odd subsurface biome was more than enough to provide for the meager populace of the planet, but didn’t leave much interest for exports. The lack of planetary commerce left Shang wholly untouched by any major galactic entity, laws and outlaws alike. It was a very safe place to leave the slaves to their freedom, and Nephadius was glad that it happened to be en route to his own destination.
The Inoya drifted slowly towards the red-orange planet, hailing to one of the many city’s space ports for landing. After some brief checks and confirmations the automatic landing system engaged, bringing the ship into its fiery descent through the planet’s upper atmosphere.
In the Inoya cargo bay sat the slave community. All watched the reentry simulation the large screens throughout the hold. It was the first time the monitors had come on since the captain’s speech two weeks prior. The occasional bump of turbulence unnerved many of the group, but most were engaged in excited conversation and hardly noticed. Talrean sat beside his young female friend, sharing one such conversation.
“I’ll find a job in one of the local shops, and maybe even open my own one day,” Serene said. The young grey wolf was giddy with anxious wonder. She stared at her older, sand colored counterpart and awaited a reply. Talrean looked out amongst the crowd. Everyone was so happy and excited that their voyage was coming to an end. Talrean felt nothing but disappointment welling throughout his body. He was so close to finally obtaining the answers to his mother’s disappearance. Now he was further away than he’s ever been.
“I’m not coming,” he said, still staring out into the crowd. Serene turned to the Wolvrun and sighed. Her eyes filled with sadness.
“I was thinking you would say something like that,” she replied.
The two wolves both stared into the crowd. The all too familiar awkward silence casting a wall between the couple. Serene had known that this day would come, she just wished that it didn’t have to be so soon.
The ship shuttered violently then came to a halt. The cargo bay fell silent. Without a sound, the crowd waited in mute anticipation. The loud hissing of the airlocks broke the silence. The “stand clear” lights came on and began their quick rotation, painting the large room in swaths of bright yellow. The large bay door began its slow vertical descent. The mechanical buzzing reverberated through the ship as a crack of light broke into the cargo bay through the large door. With the light came a blast of hot, dry air. The held breaths of the weary passengers all sighed in relief.
It didn’t take long for the many people to disembark from the ship. Some cheered. Others cried tears of joy. All were happy, except one.
The young grey wolf who smelled like fresh flowers watched somberly as the ark of her salvation climbed high into the sky. On board was the first man to look upon her without lustful eyes. Her chest tightened in a way that she had not felt in many years. Tears trickled down her cheek, matting her soft fur. She watched as the ship faded into the distance. It was gone. Her lips quivered as she spoke the words. With one last look into the pale blue sky, her lips whispered with pain, “Goodbye.”
************************************************************
Nephadius clicked his nails on the armrest of his captain’s chair as he stared at the tall, black clad, Aietos. The mysterious, dark figure standing in front of him, blocking the view of his bridge.
“Planet Sulxner,” Aietos spoke through the filtered speech module. The tall figure pointed towards one of the nearby planets displayed on the navigation screen. It was a prehistoric jungle planet full of countless unknown creatures. It was also Nephadius’s destination to begin with.
The Wolvrun ship captain stared at the mysterious person intensely. He couldn’t figure out the game that was being played. Was it a mere coincidence that Aietos was headed for the same planet as him? Perhaps this tall, dark figure was a spy, sent to track the Wolvrun’s whereabouts. Countless thoughts crossed the wolf’s mind, but nothing added up.
“12 hours,” Nephadius spoke, twisting a simulated image of the planet on his screens.
“We’ll land on the sound-eastern most archipelago, west of this continent here.” He pointed to an island cluster in the middle of a vast ocean.
“We’ll land at the local times sunrise. You can take one of the ships schooners and head to whichever destination you please.”
Aietos stared lifelessly at the Wolvrun.
“Just know that I only plan on being on Sulxner for two, three days at the most. If you’re not back on my ship by the time I decide to depart, chances are you’ll be spending the rest of your days in those jungles, fighting hell knows what to survive.”
“12 hours,” Aietos repeated, leaving the room.
Shortly after the departure of the tall, dark figure, Nephadius stood up and left as well, retiring to his room once more, to rest before the day ahead.
